Tadepalli (Andhra Pradesh) [India], August 16 (ANI): The YSR Congress Party on Sunday demanded the immediate revocation of the suspension of four teachers who approached the Union government seeking exemption from the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers, and urged the Andhra Pradesh government to pass a resolution in the Assembly on the issue.
Addressing the media in Tadepalli, YSRCP Employees’ Wing State President N Chandrasekhar Reddy condemned the suspension of the four teachers and alleged that action against them was unjustified as they had approached the Centre to raise concerns relating to serving teachers.
Reddy demanded that the suspension orders be withdrawn immediately and said the state government should take up the issue formally with the Centre.
He argued that the requirement of TET had become an additional burden for teachers already serving in government schools and questioned the Chandrababu Naidu-led government’s reluctance to bring a resolution in the state Assembly seeking exemption for in-service teachers.
“TET had become an excessive burden on serving teachers,” Reddy said, while asking why the state government was not willing to take up the matter through the Assembly.
He demanded that the government introduce and pass a resolution during the forthcoming Assembly session and subsequently send it to the Centre for consideration.
“Is meeting a Union Minister to raise teachers’ problems a crime? Is seeking TET exemption an offence?” Reddy asked.
According to the YSRCP leader, all four suspended teachers were representatives of employee associations and had travelled to meet officials at the Centre with the objective of finding a solution to issues concerning their members.
Reddy alleged that the teachers were suspended without even being allowed to explain their position and said that linking their visit to complaints relating to the District Selection Committee (DSC) recruitment process was unfair.
He accused the state government of failing to fulfil commitments made to employees and alleged that disciplinary action was being used to discourage government employees from raising their concerns.
“Employees will not be frightened by such actions,” Reddy said, demanding that the government immediately withdraw the suspension orders.
The YSRCP leader also reiterated that the state government should take an institutional approach to the TET issue instead of dealing with individual teachers through disciplinary measures.
He said a resolution in the Assembly would allow the state government to formally communicate its position to the Union government and seek appropriate action on the demand for exemption.
Reddy further demanded that the issue be taken up during the next Assembly session and that the state government pursue the matter with the Centre until a decision is reached.
The controversy comes amid continuing discussions over eligibility requirements for teachers and the obligations of serving teachers to clear TET. The issue has also become a matter of concern for employee associations, which have been seeking relief for teachers who are already in service.
Reddy maintained that the teachers’ visit to the Centre was aimed at representing the concerns of their colleagues and should not have resulted in suspension.
“The government must revoke the suspensions immediately and pass an Assembly resolution on TET exemption in the coming session,” he said.
The YSRCP’s demand puts pressure on the Andhra Pradesh government to take up the issue in the Assembly and seek intervention from the Centre. The state government’s response to the allegations and demands raised by Reddy was not immediately available. (ANI)